Tesla FSD vs. Rivian Autonomy+: Tesla leads on city driving
Tesla FSD handles city streets and signals today, while Rivian offers hands-free lane-following and plans point-to-point driving.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
Tesla FSD vs. Rivian Autonomy+ comes down to a clear difference in what each system can do today: Tesla’s FSD (Supervised) can handle routes on highways and city streets, while Rivian’s current feature is principally hands-free assistance on roads with marked lanes. That distinction matters for drivers weighing features that sound similar but require different levels of involvement.
In recent drives covering hundreds of miles, CNBC found Tesla’s FSD (Supervised) ahead of Rivian’s Autonomy+ in nonhighway driving and point-to-point capability. The comparison included nearly 200 miles in a Tesla Model Y around rural Michigan and Ann Arbor, where CNBC reported that FSD handled traffic signals, interchanges and exit ramps encountered on the route.
What can Tesla FSD and Rivian Autonomy+ do today?
Rivian’s Universal Hands-Free lets a driver remove their hands from the wheel on roads with clearly marked lanes, according to Rivian. The company says the feature covers 3.5 million miles of roads in the U.S. and Canada, and its Lane Change on Command function can change lanes after the driver activates a turn signal.
The current Rivian system can identify traffic lights and signs, but it only alerts the driver rather than responding to them, CNBC reported. That is the practical limit that separates it from Tesla’s system for trips that include city intersections, signals and turns beyond a highway route.
Neither product makes a car autonomous. CNBC said vehicles currently on sale still require the driver to remain attentive and ready to take control. Advanced driver-assistance systems can manage steering, braking and speed in certain conditions, but responsibility remains with the person in the driver’s seat.
What is Rivian planning next?
Rivian plans a limited rollout of point-to-point assisted driving later in 2026, with a broader customer rollout targeted for 2027, RivianTrackr reported from the company’s roadmap. The planned feature would let a driver enter an address while the vehicle follows the route through city streets and highway interchanges; Rivian describes it as an eyes-on system requiring continuous supervision.
The company had not specified which vehicles, locations or customers would receive the initial release, according to RivianTrackr. Rivian executive James Philbin told CNBC that point-to-point driving is the company’s next major step toward the kind of full-route operation Tesla already offers.
How much do Tesla FSD and Rivian Autonomy+ cost?
- Tesla FSD (Supervised): $99 per month, according to CNBC.
- Rivian Autonomy+: $49.99 per month or $2,500 for the life of the vehicle, according to Rivian and CNBC.
- New Rivian R1S and R1T deliveries include a 60-day Autonomy+ trial, Rivian says.
Rivian says its vehicles use 10 HDR cameras and five radars for the feature set, but the road-test comparison was not a controlled safety study. It reflects one reporter’s driving experience, while Rivian’s point-to-point plans remain a company roadmap rather than an available capability.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.